These
are names never to be forgotten. These men were the founders of the
Republic. Their name and fame are secure, and in the centuries which are
to follow will be treasured by a grateful and loving people among their
choicest possessions. Mr. Speaker, the nation gladly accepts and will
sacredly keep this invaluable relic. The article itself may be
inconsiderable, but with this simple desk we associate a grand
achievement. Upon it was written the great charter of civil liberty,
the Declaration of American Independence. We pay to the heroic hand
who signed that wager of battle the honors which are paid to the
heroes of the battlefield. It was not valor alone which secured to us
self-government. The leaders in the revolt against the tyranny and the
established institutions of the old world had courage of opinion and
were full of mature wisdom and incorruptible patriotism. The men who
signed the paper pledging their lives, their fortunes and their sacred
honor in support of the Declaration, and who made their fearless appeal
to God and the world in behalf of the rights of mankind, were both
lion-hearted and noble-minded.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25